remembering ww2
VILLAGE VOICES
'Village Voices' is a project begun in 2020 to collect memories of Kettlestonians who lived through WW2.
Pauline aged 9
Pauline Bassingthwaighte
Pauline lived in Norwich throughout WW2. Here she shares her memories of living through the Norwich blitz.
THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR
''1939 saw Norwich in Norfolk as a very heavy industrialised City producing many kinds of food, clothing, shoes and heavy machinery. All of these serviced by road, river and three Railway Stations. These factories and their offices were so centralised, the people who needed to work there tended to live in houses close to hand, resulting in a much tighter and smaller community. When these same factories were converted or taken over for War Work (our first raid coming in July 1940) any bombs and incendiaries dropped would cause massive damage.
I was ten years of age when War was declared on 3rd September 1939, living in Newmarket Street, made up of rows of terraced houses that ran sideways on to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. I was attending school at Crooks Place as it was called then and later moved to the Blyth School.
I recall the issuing of gas masks. My mischievous class finding out that if one moved them around a bit whilst still on they made very satisfactory rude noises!''
The Old Norfolk and Norwich Hospital
Terraced housing in Newmarket Street
Children wearing gas masks in London in 1941
''Windows of offices and houses were taped to stop the glass flying around and also brick built shelters with concrete roofs appeared on our streets. These although used, were not considered very safe and people could opt for either a Morrison Shelter, which was basically an iron cage you could have indoors (most people placing them under their dining tables) or you could have an Anderson Shelter made up of curved corrugated iron panels bolted together, the size dependent on the number of people living in the houses at the time. We opted for one of these, which were buried in the garden, and I remember my Mother sewing a packet of Carters lettuce seeds on top which grew to be the size of small cabbages!''
The Morrison Shelter was specially designed so that the space it took up was not wasted, since it could serve a double purpose - as both table and shelter. The sides were detachable and could be removed for table use. The floor was sprung to make a more comfortable base for a mattress. Two adults and one child (or two young children) could sleep in it. It was for erection only on the lowest floor of a house, where it gave excellent cover against the debris of a two or three-storeyed house.
The Anderson shelter was constructed of a very strong galvanised corrugated steel and was intended for erection, where suitable, in the garden of houses without a basement. It was designed to take the weight of any debris that might fall upon it from the house .
Pauline's parents, Bob and Xe.
''I became one of the “Latch Key Children” when my father joined the R.A.F and my Mother decided to do “her bit” by working in Siemens Munitions Factory, housed in the old Caleys Chocolate Factory right in the heart of the City. A ripe target!! Her work consisted of filling small carbon tubes with molten solder and inserting a small screw in the top for making batteries. In order to keep the solder workable there were rows of gas Bunsen burners working all day which ultimately resulted in the fumes giving my Mother, and many others like her, very bad coughs and chests. She never fully recovered from the effects of this throughout her life. There were no Health and Safety Regulations in those days!''
Caley's Chocolate Factory about 1940
HUNGRY SEAGULLS
''Ration books appeared and you had to register with a specific Grocer and Butcher who religiously cut out the required coupons, but Greengrocery was left to the individual. One quickly learnt to be quick on your feet and have an ear to the ground, as I became the one left to do the shopping. Rationing was rationing, but you quickly noticed anything extra that might be “on offer”, and one always asked the Butcher for “any bones”.
To help, whilst my Father was stationed in the Orkneys, he used to collect the small tin containers that housed his friends’ cigarette rations. Inside these he used to pack an egg wrapped in paper, filling a wooden box, and then send these eggs all the way from the Orkney Islands to Norwich Thorpe Station, who then delivered this box to our door. Miraculously, these used to arrive virtually intact and my Mother used to put them straight into a big earthenware crock filled with isinglass apparently to preserve them.
After some time he had an inkling that he might be posted overseas (he ended up in Italy), so for a treat, my Mother and I decided to forego our weekly bacon ration, and with the Grocer keeping a note of how much we saved, we eventually managed to have a small joint as a surprise, for as and when he arrived home.
This came about one snowbound Christmas and having got this small joint, which my Mother duly boiled, our tiny kitchen quickly filled up with steam. As she could not see what she was doing she decided to open our kitchen door and place the plate holding the joint outside, on a bench, for a moment to cool.
From nowhere it was a scene from Hitchcock’s “The Birds”!! She was surrounded and seriously attacked by a mass of hungry seagulls. There was no hope but to let the plate and hot bacon go. From the safety of our kitchen we had to watch these birds tear this small joint apart. I rarely saw my Mother cry, but I did that day.''
RATION BOOKS
Every person in Britain was given a ration book. They had to register and buy their food from their chosen shops. People had to visit several different shops to buy meat, vegetables, bread and other goods and each shop was required to stamp the appropriate section of the book.
This is a page from the ration book belonging to Pauline's father.
THE BAEDEKER RAIDS 1942
German raids on Norwich, Exeter, Bath, York and Canterbury left 1,637 civilians dead and 1,760 injured. More than 50,000 homes were destroyed.
Some noted buildings were destroyed or damaged, but most escaped - Exeter and Canterbury cathedrals survived as Norwich's did
The cities were reputedly selected because they were awarded three stars for their historical significance by the German Baedeker Tourist Guide to Britain - hence the forays were named the Baedeker raids.
The photo shows an intact Anderson shelter in Norwich surrounded by bombed buildings
IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUMPAULINE EXPERIENCES A BOMB BLAST
''As I said before, Norwich came in for some heavy bombing. Mattresses and bedding came downstairs and we would try to sleep fully clothed lying on top as the sirens sometimes used to sound several times throughout the night. As a result, many of us school children were considered deprived of a full nights’ sleep. I recall the whole school in glorious sunshine lying on the grass of its playing field being instructed by our teachers to try to get some rest. However this practice only occurred the once, I believe due to the risks of being attacked from above.
Our Air Raid Warden, Mr. Tacon, was very good but remained firm that we “had to be in our shelter, just in case”, and by this time our three grown up neighbours had joined us as they didn’t like “the smell” of the Street Shelter. It was a case of ‘sardines in a tin’, but I think my Mother was pleased of the company.
One hears about the odd stories of the effects of bomb blast. On one of the bad nights my Mother was walking tightly ahead of me, of course in the dark, when a bomb blast from somewhere near simultaneously blew in both our front and back doors. My Mother, who was a large lady, was knocked straight off her feet. I was left standing but wondered where she was. I know I gave her a nasty bang on the head to add to her bruises in my efforts to find her, but little did we know that the worst was to come.''
Orford Place
Remains of Caley's chocolate factory
Outside Curl's department store
Bond's department store in ruins
HEAVY BOMBING
''Having booked a chimney sweep to call the next day, we went into our shelter that night and were told afterwards that the air raid lasted over two hours. The centre of Norwich and approaches had gone, the back of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, its side roads and streets were reduced to rubble. We subsequently emerged from our shelter to find it was like daylight with all surrounding buildings ablaze. We hurried inside our house only to find a mountain of soot banked from the fireplace together with other debris piled diagonally across the room. I suppose it was from the shock that I tried to make light of the situation saying “Well, at least we don’t need the chimney sweep now, Mum” as she gradually opened the door leading to the upstairs only to have a load of bricks and roof tiles fall in on her. On looking up she saw the open sky and promptly fainted.
In those days, everyone rallied round and helped each other and it was amazing how quickly tarpaulins appeared. Our Air Raid Warden always seemed to have an array of small builders/carpenters organised to help everyone stay, where possible, in their own homes. We were virtually living downstairs in any case.''
Smoke coming from the Norfolk and Norwich hospital after it had been hit by an incendiary device
King George VI visits the bomb -damaged Norfolk and Norwich hospital in October 1942
NORFOLK AND NORWICH HOSPITAL
''One immediate effect of that raid was that water mains had been destroyed and I had to queue at a stopcock in the road, with the biggest pail I could find and carry. It was a case of one pail of water to last us all day for everything. I can still see my Mother emptying a hot water bottle into our kettle in order to make us a cup of tea in the morning. Again, it seemed as though the water situation quickly got sorted, possibly due to the fact that the Hospital and its requirements were so close. Another memory of that raid was of rows and rows of occupied beds all arranged outside on the ornamental lawns in front of the damaged Hospital.
I know that any news or rumours were seized upon and one that affected us was that the centre of Norwich had been such an easy target because the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital had painted a red cross on its roof line, thereby designating that it WAS a Hospital. This was too close to home for us, so we couldn’t believe our eyes to see that whilst buildings were being repaired, the outside walls of what was the old Brunswick Road Nursing Home were being freshly painted cream. Streets of rubble all around and here were walls being painted cream! I can still see their shining state being splattered with mud pies as local people vented their anger, my Mother included. My only regret was that I was not allowed to join in!''
make do and mend
''I did not realise it at the time, but because there were no distractions such as the likes of television, or the company of any brothers or sisters, the evenings were spent with my Mother passing on her considerable skills of sewing, knitting, rug making even the re soling of shoes using a composite sole fixed with an evil smelling glue and heels protected with metal “Segs”.
I learnt then to have the patience to unpick a seam in order to make a worn garment into something new.
Jumpers were made of wool. When worn, again rows were pulled out, wool washed to clean and get the kinks out then re knitted using FairIsle patterns. Nothing was wasted, paper used and re used. String, however short was saved and used again, knots and all. Zips from dresses and skirts, ribbons re used and buttons hoarded in jars. Everything looked at twice before disposal. A habit that remains with me to this day! ''
Pauline pictured in 1951
Pauline in 2020
THE END OF THE WAR
Pauline and her mother Exe were watching a film in the Haymarket cinema when the end of the war was announced. The film suddenly stopped, the lights went up and the manager came onto the stage to announce the good news. After that the film was abandoned and Pauline and Exe headed for the market place. It seemed like the whole of Norwich was outside City Hall singing and dancing. There were fireworks too and Pauline remembers Jumping Jacks exploding around her. Her mother was alarmed when she thought one had been lit near her but it turned out to be a cigarette. They stayed until evening enjoying the singing and partying and when it was time to go her mother took her shoes off and walked home in stocking feet saying ‘ I can’t stand these shoes any longer’!
AFTER THE WAR
Pauline’s father Bob did not return from Italy, where he had been stationed, for several months. Pauline recalls that she was asleep in bed when her mother woke her with the good news that her father was home. He was surprised to see that during his long absence, Pauline had grown into a young woman. Bob returned to his pre-war job at the Masonic Club in Saint Giles Street and when the Head Steward retired he took over this position, with Pauline’s mother appointed as Head Stewardess. They continued to live and work there until Bob’s retirement in 1971.
WORK
Pauline had hoped to become a teacher but her mother was not willing to allow her to leave home during the war to begin the training. So, she took a course in short-hand and went to work for the accounts department in City Hall and from there she moved to the Norwich Union where the salary was much better. She stayed there until she married in 1952.
The Masonic Hall in St Giles Street where Pauline lived after the war. Courtesy of Picture Norwich
Pat at the age of 14 pictured with her mother in 1941. The photo was taken at Pat's home in Gidea Park Essex. They were about to attend a family wedding.
PAT DIcksON
Pat lived in Gidea Park Essex throughout the war. Here are her war time memories.
OUTBREAK OF WAR
''The day war was declared 3rd September 1939, I was aged 12 years and 7 months. I was competing in a tennis tournament in Hornchurch at the time. When the siren went off we thought we might be gassed [not bombed] but thankfully the all clear siren sounded 10 minutes later.''
SCHOOLING
''I was a pupil at a convent school some miles away and had to travel by train to reach the town. My education was interrupted many times due to the siren sounding and we had to continue studies in an air raid shelter, I didn’t learn much over those years!
I can remember being scared of the doodle bug bombs as one could hear them fly past. Suddenly the engine would cut out and one had to wait for it to fall hopefully not on the house. Later the Germans sent over V2 rockets but there was no warning so if it fell on you that was bad luck.''
HOME LIFE
Pat's father
''My father worked for the Ford Motor Company at Dagenham. This was a prime target for bombs but happily he survived. He became an Air Raid Warden and had to learn to put out incendiary bombs when they fell on houses.''
Cars coming off the production line at Dagenham
Every local council was responsible for organising ARP wardens, messengers, ambulance drivers, rescue parties, and liaison with police and fire brigades.
From 1 September 1939, ARP wardens enforced the blackout. Heavy curtains and shutters were required on all homes, commercial premises, and factories to prevent light escaping and so making them a possible target for enemy bombers .
ARP wardens were central in reporting and dealing with bombing incidents. They managed the air raid sirens and ensured people were directed to shelters.
Pat's mother
''My mother had to cope with food rationing. It was a problem having to feed the family and to find out when there was meat and fish available which meant having to queue. Somehow we survived and the government made sure we did not starve. Bananas were not to be seen until after the war and I was excited to find, on holiday in Ireland, a tin of boiled sweets. Rationing went on long after the war had ended.
Coal for fires was rationed too, so keeping warm was difficult and we were asked to only use 5 inches of water in the bath. ''
employment
''My first job was in an office in the City. I travelled by train to Liverpool Street station every day but I couldn’t be sure if the trains would be running due to coal shortage. On arrival, I didn’t know if the office building would be there or not as there was much bombing going on.''
The ruins of the City of London from Southwark Bridge to Blackfriars - photo taken from St Paul's Cathedral in 1942
VE day in London. Winston Churchill on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with George VI, Queen Elizabeth and their daughters
VE DAY
''May 1945 VE day. I can’t remember much about the day but I know I was out riding my bicycle in the local park and we were overjoyed to know that the war had ended. By this time life had returned to sort of normal and we all knew beforehand that victory wasn’t far away. I know there was great rejoicing all over the world and Winston Churchill was our hero.''
keeping pigs
''In the garden where we lived we looked after two pigs with our neighbour and when they were ready to be slaughtered we had to give half back to the government and we were allowed to keep the rest in a cold warehouse. We took out joints when needed and this was 1949.''
During the Second World War the public were encouraged to supplement food rations by keeping pigs. The Small Pig Keeper’s Council (SPKC) was the national governing body responsible for promoting the keeping of pigs and supporting the setting up of Pig Clubs around England and Wales. Pig Clubs were groups of between four and 25 people who came together to raise pigs. They provided household food waste for the pigs to eat, cleaned the sties, and shared in the meat produced. Half of the pigs raised had to be handed over to the Ministry of Food.
The entrance to the Savoy Hotel
DINING OUT
''The government put a tariff on meals eaten out and my husband and I had meals at the Savoy and other well-known restaurants in the West End. ''
Meals eaten away from home, whether in expensive West End restaurants or industrial canteens, were ‘off ration’ and a popular alternative with Londoners who could afford them. The conspicuous ability of the rich to enjoy almost pre-war levels of gastronomy at top hotels led to such resentment from Londoners at large that the government prevented restaurants charging more than 5/- a meal from 1942.
Click on the links below to listen to Pat talking about the war
KETTLESTONE
Pat has lived in Kettlestone since 1971
Here she is celebrating her 90th birthday in Kettlestone Village Hall. On the left she is pictured with Gill Ashby and Mary Townsin.
Below left villagers enjoy birthday tea.
A letter from the Bishop of Norwich thanking Pat for her many years of service on Kettlestone PCC
MARLENE HOAD
''I was born in 1939 in March, Cambridgeshire. We lived at 27A West End March, Cambridgeshire. Our garden went down to the River Nene, where I played a lot as a child. Opposite where we lived was the British Legion, and so we saw many special flag days. I have some memories of the war years. One is remembering my Father come home in his uniform with his rifle and tin helmet. ''
West End March where Marlene grew up
The River Nene at West End
FEEDING THE FAMILY
FEEDING THE FAMILY
''I remember ration books and having to queue with my Mum to buy food. The Food Office which I think was run by the government was in West End. It would issue families with bottles of concentrated orange Juice and cod liver oil. I believe we had tokens to pay for them. I loved the orange juice but not cod liver oil . I also remember my Mother making lots of suet puddings to fill us up. Even though food was rationed, Mum always had a good meal for us to eat. There was very little meat, so we had to make do with what there was and share it out. My father kept pigs which helped.
EXTRA SWEETS
I remember friends of Mum would give me a sweet coupon from their ration book so I would get a few extra sweets which I thought was wonderful''
Children looking into a sweet shop window circa 1946. Sweet rationing did not end until 1953
SWEET RATIONING
Sweet rationing was introduced in 1942. The new rules gave an allowance of seven ounces to everyone over five years old. This ration was enough to allow the children just a couple of sweets each day, but only if they could find them. Coupons were no guarantee of product availability. By Christmas 1942, sweets were in short supply in all areas of the country.
Many adults, particularly old age pensioners, handed in their coupons at sweet counters "for the little ones" so that children would never be turned away empty handed.
flying bombs
''One night during an air raid, my elder sister and I both peeped out of the black-out blinds to see the very noisy Flying Bomb going over, with flames coming out of it. I was very frightened. They told me all the while you could hear that noise you were safe but once the noise stopped, the bomb would drop. We were very glad it was a long way off before the noise stopped. ''
The V1 flying bombs - also known as the 'doodlebugs' or 'buzz bombs' on account of the distinctive sound they made when in flight - were winged bombs powered by a jet engine.The V-1 was the first "cruise missile" and carried a 1,870lb warhead. Launched from northern France it could travel at 400mph with a range of up to 150 miles. It contained a device that counted the revolutions in a tiny propeller in its nose and when it reached the number calculated to have brought it over its target the engine cut out and the missile fell to earth, detonating on impact.
The photograph shows a V1 flying bomb.
courtesy of Getty ImagesTHE AERIAL BOMBARDMENT OF MARCH
Between 1940 and 1944, there were 137 incidents involving aerial bombing which occurred around March.
Several hundred high explosive and thousands of incendiary bombs together with a few oil bombs and land mines were dropped by the Luftwaffe. The bombing targeted railway lines close to Whitemoor railway marshalling yards at March, with the aim of disrupting supply chains. Thousands of tonnes of war materials passed through Whitemoor, the largest bidirectional rail yard in the country. It was so vital that a decoy site was set up locally in case German bombers tried to attack it. However, the Luftwaffe were ordered to focus on the railway lines and leave Whitemoor itself intact. This was because the Germans planned to use it themselves when they invaded Britain.
Whitemoor railway marshalling yard photographed in 1950.
PASTIMES
HANDICRAFTS
''My mother was always making peg rugs or knitting, I use to watch her knitting, and asked Mum to teach me to knit, I think I was 4 years old then. I still knit to this day, one of my favourite hobbies and memories of my dear Mother.
THE RADIO
I remember the radio was a big part of our lives, the only entertainment we had. We would listen to all the news and big bands like Ted Heath, and Glen Miller. This was lovely music to listen and dance to. We also heard Very Lynn entertaining the troops. Comedy shows featuring the likes of Arthur Askey and Bob Hope would makes us laugh a lot and we would be glued to the radio all evening.''
Philco table top radio from 1940
The comedian Arthur Askey recording a radio show
After the war
''I can remember the celebrations when the war was over, and the lovely street parties we had, and everyone decorating houses and streets up, and of course my Father coming home safe to us all. Memories I will never forget, a big part of my life as a child.
Later I went to The Hereward Secondary School For Girls. We visited Hunstanton frequently, and would have holidays in a caravan every year. I made friends with a girl that lived near me. From 4 years old, we went through school days together, and are still in touch to this day - a 77 year friendship, I think that is so nice.''
The photo shows Marlene aged about 4, with her parents and her elder sister Rita.
Marlene's father [centre] in Italy during the war.
Marlene in her pram with her mother, father and sister pictured in their garden.
This photograph shows Marlene with her cousin Pamela from Newark, and their grandfather. He was a publican and kept ‘The Carpenters Arms’ in March town. He was a very well known man. He had a pony and trap and would ride through the town very proudly. Unfortunately Marlene's only memory of him is seeing him laid out dead on the kitchen table.
KETTLESTONE
Marlene and her husband Trevor outside their house in Kettlestone
Marlene with her son and his wife and her husband Trevor,
GILL BAGULEY
''When war was declared I was just 6 years old. I can remember the feeling of anxiety in the grown-ups in my life, especially in my Mother who had a huge change of life-style thrust on her in the previous five years. After eight years of marriage during which she had moved house four times because of my Father’s job, produced three small children, me being the youngest, she found herself widowed with little or no income. Her solution was to move from the south coast to Norfolk to buy a village shop in Sprowston with housing attached so that she could be at home to care for us. This was a successful choice, until the war started. ''
Gill aged about 6
This house in Glenburn Avenue was formerly the shop where Gill lived with her mother, sister and brother during the war.
The doorway into the shop has been bricked up but is clearly visible on the photo.
BLACKOUT
Blackout regulations were imposed in September 1939, before the declaration of war. These required that all windows and doors should be covered at night with suitable material such as heavy curtains, cardboard or paint, to prevent the escape of any glimmer of light that might aid enemy aircraft. The Government ensured that the necessary materials were available.[External lights such as street lights were switched off, or dimmed and shielded to deflect light downward. Essential lights such as traffic lights and vehicle headlights were fitted with slotted covers to deflect their beams downwards to the ground.
War time in the shop
''The war brought many changes. Blackout curtains in a shop with three large windows was a daily nightmare. Sheltering under the stairs every night was uncomfortable. Hearing planes overhead, followed by the noise of bombs falling was terrifying. Eventually we upgraded to a Morrison shelter in our living room, which also became the dining table. So much bombing in Norwich missed the centre and landed in places near or us. Mousehold Heath, Salhouse and Wroxham Roads, were all damaged and Boulton and Paul’s factory just a couple of miles away had a direct hit. ''
Listen to Gill talk about the outbreak of war by clicking on the link
Glenburn Avenue in the 1930's
Looking towards Wroxham from the corner of Glenburn Avenue
Sprowston Road in the 1930's
FIRST WW2 AIR RAID on norwich TARGETS sprowston
Norwich was first bombed by German planes on 9 July 1940.The raid, carried out by three Luftwaffe bombers began shortly before 5pm and the Sprowston Grange home of Barclays Bank director Charles Hammond found itself an unlikely first target . Hammond was attending a board meeting of the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital at the time, but two of his household staff, parlour maid Kathleen Le-Good and cook Iris Fortescue, had just settled themselves by a bay window for afternoon tea. Kathleen recalled: “I’d had just one bite of a bun when there was this terrific bang.” In that moment the house shook and windows shattered, showering them with glass. “We rushed into the corridor and stood there shaking, holding on to each other. It was a terrifying experience.” They scrambled outside only to find the ground around flailed by machine-gun fire . Fortunatley they escaped unharmed, but 60-year-old Kate Lovett who lived at the nearby Grange Cottage was fatally injured when one of the bombs demolished her home as she sheltered beneath a table.
Quite why the Grange was picked out is unclear, though Kathleen and Iris were among several local people to speculate that the intended target was Sprowston Hall which had been taken over by the military.
Next to be attacked was Barnard's Iron Works on Salhouse Road which manufactured gunshells and parts for the Hurricane bomber . Four men were killed and by the end of that afternoon, 22 more people had died. Many buildings had been destroyed or seriously damaged including Thorpe train station and the Boulton and Paul works at Riverside.
Five women who were walking up Carrow Hill after finishing their shifts at the nearby Colman's factory were killed when a bomb exploded above their heads. Maud Ballam, 40, and Bessie Upton, 36, were killed instantly. Bessie Playford, 19, died later that day at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital and Gladys Sampson, 18, died the following day.Maud Burrell, 37, clung to life for three days before dying of her injuries.
Despite the horrendous loss of life, very little information about the air raid appeared in the press.
Sprowston Grange photographed when it was the Georgian Hotel. The first bomb to hit Norwich fell here.
GILL AT SCHOOL
''I was a pupil at the Notre Dame School in Norwich as was my sister who very reluctantly took charge of my daily journey as she also attended as a pupil. The crowded bus from Sprowston each day meant that it was not uncommon to see distressed people, mainly young women, who had received news of a loved one’s death. I found this very bewildering .At school we seemed to spend more time in the cloakroom in the basement, than we ever did in our classroom. It was here that we prayed endlessly, were given rosaries, and practised wearing our gas masks. Walking down Surrey Street became another world… the piece of land next to the school was the victim of bombing as was All Saints Green, and the bottom of Surrey Street where it met St Stephen’s where Debenham’s now stands was a huge crater which was a lovely playground with its mountains of rubble. Although it was off limits I would scramble down the slope and play hide and seek there with my friends. Nobody bothered us and told us that it was unsafe. The great adventure for all the young boys including my brother was the collecting of shrapnel, which was prolific. ''
Listen to Gill talk about school by clicking on the link
Bomb damage to Orford Place where Debenham's is now
Part of Bond's department store before it was bombed
Scout Week on the blitzed Curls site at Norwich.
Gill used to play here with her friends
PHOTO COURTESY OF EDP
LIVING IN A SHOP
''The evenings at home were very sociable. My mother kept the shop open as long as possible, and she was always busy. Rationing meant more work as cheese, butter sugar, and eggs all had to be weighed exactly. Items like bacon, cake, jam and many tinned goods were in short supply and a great deal of tact had to be used when selling them, as customers became very difficult to please if they thought they were not being treated fairly.
As my mother had been an accountant before her marriage, adding up and collating the ration points was something she enjoyed doing. The table would be covered with these paper coupons and this routine took place monthly.
The other memory I have is of the weekly bartering that went on every Friday evening in our shop. Everybody who had local businesses met in out shop to settles their dues. There was the butcher, the baker the newsagent, the greengrocer and the haberdasher. They would keep me awake with their banter ‘’ You had 6 sausages and I had carrots and potatoes so that evens out’’ I had been the errand girl who had done the shopping but I was never given money for the items, it was always settled at the end of the week. No wonder money means so little to me!! . My brother spent most of his wartime taking shopping to customers in the village. One great loss was our phone which was considered a luxury by the Post Office and was taken away. Somehow orders for food were received still, but it was yet another sacrifice the war demanded. ''
Click the link to listen to Gill talking about the shop
A shopkeeper stamps a ration book . 1943
RATIONS
At the start of the Second World War in 1939, the United Kingdom was importing 20 million tons of food per year, including 70% of its cheese and sugar, almost 80% of fruit and about 70% of cereals and fats. The UK also imported more than half of its meat, and relied on imported feed to support its domestic meat production. In order to disrupt the flow of these imports the Germans attacked shipping bound for Britain, with the intention of starving the nation. To deal with food shortages, the Ministry of Food instituted a system of rationing. Each person had to register at chosen shops, and was provided with a ration book containing coupons. Purchasers had to present ration books when shopping so that the coupon or coupons could be cancelled.
A wartime ration book
This is a typical weekly food ration for an adult:
Bacon & Ham 4 oz
Other meat value of 1 shilling and 2 pence
Butter 2 oz
Cheese 2 oz
Margarine 4 oz
Cooking fat 4 oz
Milk 3 pints
Sugar 8 oz
Preserves 8 oz per month
Tea 2 oz
Eggs 1 fresh egg
Sweets 8 oz per month
CUSTOMERS IN THE SHOP
''Sprowston was surrounded by aircraft stations. The nearest was Rackheath where the American Army Air Force was based. The GIs came to us regularly and were always friendly, generous and kind. In return for some cigarettes they would supply me with chewing gum, and for my mother they would bring nylon stockings – sheer luxury. One famous visitor to the shop was Douglas Bader. He was stationed at Coltishall not far from us. He even offered to show me his ‘’tin leg’’ but I was too frightened to accept the offer!
The local poacher called quite regularly. He always wore a huge brown coat and from the inside pockets he would produce dead rabbits, and miraculously one Christmas a chicken. The air wardens would gather at our shop, which was a great comfort. They were especially good when one of the plate glass windows was shattered by a bomb blast . They rallied round and repaired it for us.''
Listen to Gill by clicking on the links.
LOCAL AIRFIELDS
Rackheath airfield was laid out on agricultural land between the two settlements of Rackheath Parva and Rackheath Magna. It was opened on 11 March 1944 for the use of the United States Army Air Force and was manned by the 467th Bombardment Group from Utah .Planes from Rackheath were involved in bombing campaigns in Germany and France.
The airfield at RAF Coltishall was completed and entered service in May 1940 as a fighter base. During the Second World War, Coltishall operated the Hawker Hurricane. One notable fighter pilot was Douglas Bader.
Rackheath airfield pictured from the air in 1946
Squadron Leader Douglas Bader pictured in 1940
Sprowston ARP Wardens
Sprowston Civil Defence Team 1940
GILL'S THOUGHTS ABOUT LIVING THROUGH THE WAR
''My recollection of the war time years was one of acceptance, I had never eaten a banana so did not miss them. There were always sweets stuck to the bottom of sweet jars that were not sale-able, so they were extracted somehow and I was the beneficiary. Sugar, sifted from the bottom of its hessian sack could be used by us, and cracked eggs meant a healthy breakfast. For a child of my age, living in a grocery shop made the war bearable in many ways. I was unaware of the danger we were in, although a rare trip to Mundesley and seeing a land mine washed up on the beach was very salutary.''
Gill talks about the end of the war. Click the link to listen to her.
GILL IN KETTLESTONE
Gill has lived in Kettlestone since retirement.
Here she is in her garden with a friend and below, talking to a neighbour in the village hall.
ROGER TOWNSIN
A garden Anderson shelter
Old map showing location of public air raid shelters in Peterborough
''I was born in January 1940 and so the war was the backdrop to the first five years of my life. We lived on the northern outskirts of Peterborough where the countryside was only a short walk away and on Saturday mornings cattle would be driven along the road to market near the city centre. My earliest war related memory is being taken from my cot, wrapped in a blanket and under a starlit sky carried down to the Anderson shelter at the bottom of the garden. This had been constructed by my father and our neighbour and the image of the two families sitting together in candle light is still very vivid. I am fairly sure that this must have been in February 1942 when Peterborough suffered its heaviest bombing raid. We also had a Morrison shelter in the house which was allocated to us as I was a new born baby.It was permanently set up with cushions and blankets ready for use but it never was.There was also a public air-raid shelter built on the road just down from us but that was never used either. It was built of brick and had a thick concrete roof.''
The Bombing of Peterborough
The sirens were sounded in the city a total of 650 times during the Second World War. It is strange that Peterborough was chosen as a safe area for the evacuation of children from London because the city was among the first towns to have an air raid, this was on 8th June, 1940, when several small bombs fell on the city centre and some shops and the town swimming pool were damaged.
Anti-aircraft rocket launchers Fulbridge Road Peterborough
The marshalling yard at Peterborough having been hit by a bomb
THE EAST COAST MAIN LINE
''Straight opposite our house was a field of anti-aircraft rocket launchers which were there to protect an important marshalling yard on the East Coast Main Line that was not far away. Behind us and close to the the garden was a mobile anti-aircraft gun and barrage balloon. The rocket launchers were never fired but the gun might have been when a stray German plane flew over our house and came down a few miles away.''
VISITING LONDON
''I had an aunt who lived in Loughton in Essex and on one occasion while staying with her we went into the centre of London and I can remember the trolley buses and Oxford Street being paved with wooden blocks. We visited Selfridges and that was my first experience of using a lift. I can also picture the bomb damage all around with destroyed buildings boarded off from the pavements.''
Oxford Street in WW2
A POLISH GUEST
''For a short time we had a Polish cavalry officer lodged with us and I remember handling his pistol with boyish interest. We had a French bayonet dated 1868 and one evening he picked it up and said it was similar to the sword he had and was his only weapon when facing the German invasion. Sadly we never knew what became of him. He had already experienced traumatic change to his life and I hope he survived the Stalinist purge.''
The station at Burgh le Marsh
LINCOLNSHIRE
''In 1944 my father was posted to Orby in Lincolnshire on air sea rescue duties and we had relatives living in Burgh le Marsh where he was billeted. My mother, sister and I stayed with them for a few days and I clearly recall walking what must have been nearly two miles to the station to catch the train. It was early in the morning and still very dark with absolutely no lighting anywhere.The image of sitting in the compartment looking out onto a gloomy platform with heavily shrouded lights as wafts of steam drifted by is still undiminished.
While at Burgh we visited Skegness and walked down the road to the sea front where the beachwas covered with barbed wire and scaffolding. In spite of it being sunny the town had a strange other worldly feel about it, shut down and deserted, and that is an abiding sense I have of many places during this time.
Where we were staying there was a photo on the grand piano of a very smart RAF officer.Although its significance didn’t fully register with me then it was of the son who had been killed the year before while training to become a fighter pilot ''
TRAGEDY OF WAR
''The only other death that had relevance to our family was of my father’s best friend. They had been called up together by the RAF in June 1939: my father went to Wittering on fighter control and his friend became an engineer navigator in bomber command. On his 30th and last mission in April 1945 the plane was shot down over France and he was killed with the rest of the crew; hearing news of it was the only time I saw my father in tears.''
OTHER MEMORIES
''There are many other memories which were just part of our daily lives. The house windows crisscrossed with anti shatter tape, heavy blackout through out, walking home from school in the dark as it was double daylight saving, lying in bed with the adjacent wardrobe door wide open to protect me from blast my mother said, the sound of aeroplane engines which even now I can identify as a Lancaster bomber or Spitfire without seeing them. And the wail of an air-raid siren takes me back in an instant to those foreboding moments.''
A WW2 black out poster
courtesy of IWM
VE DAY
''When VE day was declared our neighbour burst into the house shouting “The war is over”. A huge bonfire was built in the local recreation ground and in the evening it blazed into a black night sky and cracked as bullets exploded in the intense heat.''
Street party in Peterborough to celebrate VE day 1945